Just recently, former NFL quarterback Joe Theissman made some pretty bold claims that LeBron James could play QB in the NFL. And while it seems like a pretty wild idea at first, ESPN has enlisted “Sports Science” to further investigate.
What these guys are able to do is actually quantify athleticism through analytical data and compare it to other real-life counterparts, giving viewers a better understanding of how gifted these players really are.
Anything from speed, strength and reaction time are tested and in this case, it’s all about how fast the ball is thrown.
It’s no secret that LeBron is one of the better, if not best, passing forwards in the league. His pin-point accuracy and velocity on assists is a sight to marvel at, as he slings the ball with just a flick of the wrist.
So who better to compare ball speed with against than, I don’t know… three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady? That’s exactly what the Sports Science team did in one of their coolest experiments to date. The segment claims the unthinkable: LeBron James passes faster and harder than does the all-pro caliber QB.
“LeBron can get off a 40 mile an hour dart in under two-tenths of a second. That’s twice as fast as the average NFL quarterback releases a pass. That means from 35 feet away, or nearly 12 yards, LeBron can hit his man faster than Tom Brady can hit his target from the same distance.”
